The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-04-09
CAMELE0N.
BY ROSE II. LATHROP.

pensates, evidently.
Nelly, whom some of her friends
called Cameleon, was sitting over the
fire in her private parlor discussing
her various lovers with Felina. For
tunately Felina was engaged to be
married, add was not in position
to feel envy or to watch unsympa-
thetically the preliminary steps to-
ward an engagement on the part OF
her friend. 1t was an event which
she eagerly desired, that they might
be entirely mutual in their exper-
fences. Felina might have been
jealous of the Cameleon's beauty ;
but the young girl was of that
charming class of lovely women
whose members appeal to their own
sex by their perfect good nature and
childlike innocence.
"Oh, | can tell you how that hap
pens the Cameleon responded, in
her cheerful voice. "Clever Mr..
Courtney told me that my face
would last well, and that he had
seen hundreds of bellies fade in a
few seasons, which had almost made
a misanthrope ofhim,"
"Well, l think it was fine distinc-
tion,' Felina acquiesced. younger
men don't think of that, and fancy
that what is chiefly youth is down
right beauty. But your Precious
countenance will certainly mature
to its credit, and l can't imagine
you anything but excellent, whether
time pulls your face perpendicular
ly or horizontally Plump or thin,
pale or rosy, Cameleon, it will be
sure to remain face to conquer
everybody"
Nelly sighed.
"Are you sorry for anything" ask.
ed Felina.
Why, it seems rather laborious,'
the young belle answered. "Yor
see, | have got to accept one of then
these inevitable men-and it is Sc
hard to choose. There are so many
professions represented, for ont
thing. The handsomest and mos
fascinating of all my admirers, in &
way, is Mr.. Bruce-Lymau and yor
will admit that his being in prepar
alton for fashionable doctor o
medicine is fatal. l had not beer
engaged to him for two days, Felina
q never told you that l did accept
him at first), when he prescribed fol
II little cough which | quite enjoyed
and would not have cured for the
world. But it was so lucky ! ]
might have actually married him
and heard all my life about drugs.
Nelly discussed her friends hand
embroidery for a moment and then
continued 81 suppose | rushed to
the other extreme after breaking
with the doctor, for | allowed Mr.
William Fenimore to give me an
exhaustive catalogue Of his qualifica.
tions for making me good husband
He has all his time to himself until
he inherits from his father; when he
must devote some attention to the
estates and he said that we could
travel all over the world, and that he
did not need any society but mine,
and should be happy in China if ]
were his wife. 1t looked to me like
too much leisure, you know, and ]
was afraid that he had n passion fol
travelling and that | should become
Il thorough Arab if 1 married. How
could l employ Redfern in Asia ?
! decided positively against Mr.. Fen
imore. When Mr.. Dalgian offered
himself l was very much puzzled
Here was Il fine social position, in
which l should probably have beer
leader from beginning to end and
gone down in civic history as the
beautiful Mrs. Dalgian, who enter
tanned the elite of both hemisphere
with such consummate grace. Mr.
Dalgain is not by any means unin
teresting. / often think of him, anC
the flowers he sent me were some
thing astonishing, Felina they
showed such imaginative taste anC
he insisted on my keeping this RIM
as an act of charity. Isn't it beauti
full? He made his family call upol
me, and seemed to think he had ac
complished great work for his cen
tury when they had paid me thei
respects. But oh, Felina, l coul'
not endure those Miss Dalgians.
was afraid should grow to lik
! them. They seemed to be incon
venienced by their ancestors, as
/ they had them still with them, an,
in Il particularly paralyzing condi
tion, either as ghosts or mummies
and they neither looked to the righ
nor to the left for fear of catching
sight of one of the old curmudgeons